Iranian plots to kill Americans reach advanced stage, DNI says

Two regions now host Iranian plots that Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton describes as having reached advanced stages. In a memo dated Friday, Clayton told Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Iran has substantially increased its efforts to target U.S. personnel overseas. CIA Director John Ratcliffe was copied on the document, which was first reported by Axios.

The intelligence chief noted that these lethal plotting efforts against U.S. citizens are focused in the Middle East and certain other countries. The memo does not identify the specific targets or the exact nations where the plans are developing. It also does not state whether an attack is imminent. Clayton said the intelligence community is working to downgrade the classification of sensitive data so it can be shared more widely with State Department staff.

This warning arrives as the administration weighs a return to military strikes against Iran. Security precautions have tightened at American diplomatic and military sites in the region. The State Department ordered non-essential embassy personnel and their families to leave Saudi Arabia earlier this week. Several other U.S. embassies in the area have shifted to restricted operations status, a measure that allows them to reduce staffing without formally ordering a departure.

A U.S. official told CBS News on Friday that the department constantly evaluates new information regarding the security environment. The official said the threat of Houthi attacks and Iranian terror plots targeting U.S. officials is shaping staffing decisions at embassies on restricted operations status. A senior U.S. military official confirmed that the military has been quietly shrinking its presence at posts in the Middle East due to continuing threats.

Houthi militants, who receive backing from Iran, have carried out attacks on Saudi Arabia targeting oil infrastructure and airports. One strike on Riyadh's King Khalid Airport earlier this month killed people, including a U.S. citizen, and injured hundreds. Last weekend, U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates took steps in response to these Houthi attacks.

Although the United States and Iran have avoided striking each other in recent weeks, President Trump has not ruled out restarting hostilities after next month's midterm elections. Iran has continued to claim responsibility for attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking at a campaign rally in Florida on Friday, the president suggested another operation could follow if Tehran does not reach an agreement. We may do another little Epic Fury, or they'll agree, he said.

The president was referring to the U.S. military campaign launched in February. The memo does not provide a timeline for when the next phase of U.S. action might occur. It only documents the current level of threat assessment by the intelligence community.